A fair comparison · Checked October 2, 2026
The best ways to share several screenshots from a Mac (2026).
We make SnapTrellis, so we’re not neutral. We’ve tried to be fair anyway: the free tools already on your Mac come first, then three popular screenshot apps, then ours. Prices change, so for each app we say how it charges and link to the maker’s own site.
The short answer
- Two or three screenshots, once in a while: paste them into the message, with a line above each. Free.
- One image or one PDF, now and then: Shortcuts’ Combine Images, or Finder’s Create PDF. Free.
- An all-round screenshot app with scrolling capture and upload links: CleanShot X or Snagit. Shottr costs the least.
- Several screenshots sent as one numbered image, every day: SnapTrellis.
Side by side
| How it charges | Several into one image | Numbers or step marks | Blur | Share as a link | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paste into the message | Free | No | Type them yourself | No | No |
| Shortcuts, Preview, Finder | Free, built in | One image (Shortcuts) or one PDF | No | No; cover with a solid box | No |
| Freeform | Free, built in | By hand | By hand | No | A shared board |
| Shottr | Free to use; paid one-time license | Yes, on one canvas | Step counter | Blur, pixelate | Upload, after setup |
| CleanShot X | One-time purchase, or a Pro subscription | Yes, placed by hand | Counter tool | Blur, pixelate | Cloud links |
| Snagit | Yearly subscription | Yes, with templates | Step tool and Step Capture | Blur, pixelate | Screencast links |
| SnapTrellis | Free for 14 days, then a one-time unlock | Yes, as you capture | Automatic numbers and lettered markers | Blur and Hide | No; you send the image |
1. Paste them into the message
Free. Best for two or three screenshots.
In Mail, Messages, Slack, or Teams, paste each screenshot with a short line above it. It costs nothing and needs nothing new. With more than a few, they’re easy to misread on a phone: they arrive as a stack of small pictures, and the order isn’t always clear. Our guide shows how to send multiple screenshots so they make sense.
2. Your Mac’s built-in tools
Free. Best for one image or one PDF now and then.
Shortcuts’ Combine Images action joins saved screenshots into one image. Finder’s Create PDF, and Preview, make one PDF with a page per screenshot. Markup adds arrows and text, but it has no blur, so private details need a solid box. Each time, you save, select, and combine by hand. Step-by-step guides: 3 ways to combine screenshots on a Mac and how to combine screenshots into one PDF.
3. Freeform
Free and built in. Best for a collage you want to arrange by hand.
Drag screenshots onto a board, add text and arrows, then share the board or export it as a PDF. Shared boards work through iCloud, and everyone you share with needs to sign in with an Apple Account. You get full control, and you pay for it in time.
4. Shottr
Free to use, with a paid one-time license for one person on up to five Macs. Mac only, macOS 10.15 or later.
An all-round screenshot tool with scrolling capture and markup that includes blur, pixelate, and a step counter. Its Add Capture button puts several screenshots on one canvas, which you arrange yourself. Uploading has to be set up first. Shottr says the free version starts asking you to consider buying after 30 days.
5. CleanShot X
A one-time purchase that includes a year of updates, or a CleanShot Pro subscription. Also part of Setapp. Mac only, macOS 13 or later.
A complete screenshot and screen recording app: scrolling capture, an editor with blur, pixelate, and a Counter tool for step numbers, and one-click cloud links. To combine screenshots, you drag them into the editor and place them yourself. A good choice if you want one app for capturing, recording, and sharing links.
6. Snagit
A yearly subscription, with a money-back guarantee. Mac and Windows; macOS 14 or later.
TechSmith’s capture and editing tool. Combine Images arranges screenshots in ready-made templates, the Step tool numbers parts of an image, and Step Capture turns your clicks into a numbered guide. Screencast hosts your captures as links. A good choice for teams that document processes, and for anyone who also works on Windows.
7. SnapTrellis (ours)
Free to download. Merging a group is free for 14 days, then $19.99 once (US price). No subscription. Mac only, macOS 14 or later.
Built for one job: sending several screenshots as one clear image. Screenshots join a group as you capture with ⌥⇧4, you can type a label on the card beside each one, and ⌥⇧C copies the whole group as one image: the group’s name on top if you’ve named it, a number and label on every screenshot, and marker notes listed underneath. It has blur and Hide, and no account or cloud; your screenshots stay on your Mac.
What it doesn’t do: scrolling capture, screen recording, upload links, or Windows. If you need those, one of the apps above is a better fit.
Which should you choose?
If you share screenshots a few times a month, the free tools on your Mac are enough. If you want one app for every kind of capture, look at CleanShot X, Snagit, or Shottr. If your day is full of “here are three screenshots, see the second one,” SnapTrellis is built for exactly that.
How we compared
We looked at one job: getting several screenshots from a Mac to someone else so they make sense. Features and how each app charges come from each maker’s website and Apple’s support pages, checked on October 2, 2026. We didn’t test every feature of every app, and plans change, so check the maker’s site for current prices before you buy. Spot a mistake? Email hello@designedcalm.com and we’ll fix it.
Sources:
- Apple: Take screenshots on Mac, Mark up files on Mac, and Share a Freeform board
- Shottr: features and pricing
- CleanShot X: features and pricing
- Snagit: pricing, Combine Images, Step Capture, scrolling capture, and blur and pixelate
- SnapTrellis: support page
Free for 14 days, then $19.99 once. No subscription. macOS 14 or later.